Assassin's creed: Lesson Learned
by assassinmpb
Summary: My name is Anna Ridler. I was born and raised in London; Mayfair, to be more precise. I'd be lying if I said I wanted to leave. To this day, I still miss the life I used to have there. America is so different. I will never regret coming here, though. The things I've learned, the things I've seen! I wouldn't trade it for anything. And then, there's Connor... God, where do I begin?
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Hello dear reader! You are about to read the first chapter of my very first fan fiction! :D I really hope you will find it enjoyable!**  
**Please, feel free to let me know what you think of it -both the good and the bad stuff.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, scenes, dialogues and whatever from Assassin's creed. Everything familiar from the game obviously belongs to Ubisoft :) **

Chapter 1.

27th November, 1772

I slowly crept out of bed, careful not to make a sound as I made my way to the window.

I watched as a group of wealthy men, two of them in the company of what looked like prostitutes, passed by on the street beneath me. This was not an uncommon sight in Mayfair- or anywhere in London, really. You'd just find the men around here carrying heavier purses.

I opened the window and frowned as the cold air surrounded me; bracing myself, I climbed through to hoist myself up to the roof. A shiver went through me as I placed my bare feet on the even colder surface of the roof tiles. I quickly moved to the other side of the house and dropped down to the french balcony facing the garden behind my home. As I knelt in front of the door leading from the balcony into my father's library, I pulled out two hairpins, causing most of my hair to cascade over my shoulders. The art of picking locks with hairpins was not a very common interest among highborn young ladies like myself, though I considered it one of my most valuable skills.

Now, you might wonder why in the world I would make this effort to break into my father's library. Well, first of all I was strictly forbidden to enter it. That applied to my brothers as well, though they were sometimes given books about science or mathematics for educational purposes. Education I was denied for the simple reason I was born female.

Father thought it unnecessary for me since I would not put the knowledge to use and besides, "I might get ideas." Well, they say knowledge is power, and no one wants a woman to overpower a man.

Don't mistake me, my father had made sure I was taught the appropriate qualifications for a woman. This included teaching me how to read and write, business management, basic mathematics, geography, French, embroidery etc. I wanted more. I wanted to learn about science, physics, philosophy; I was hungry to know everything this world could teach me.

Therefore, over the last three years I had made it my routine to sneak down to the library a couple of times a week, careful not to leave any traces besides a missing book or two. So far I had not been caught once. Father had no clue, and better it stay that way. See, I had found books in there that taught me about something I hadn't quite expected. Something I certainly was not supposed to know about. I had learned about the Templars and the Assassins.

Besides these books, I had found letters to Father. Turns out he wasn't just a successful businessman, as he had told me and my brothers, but also a high ranking member of the Templar Order. I figured this had to be the reason none of us were allowed inside, and also why Father had taken measures to secure the room. If you were to try and enter the library from inside the house, you'd be stopped by a large wooden door with a massive lock that certainly could not be picked with hairpins.

Luckily, I was blessed with a creative mind that found a way around the obstacle.

The balcony door swung open and I hurried to get into the warmth inside the library. The room was dark, except where the moonlight had made its way through the dusty windows. I walked over to one of the shelves in order to return the book I had finished that same morning to its former place. I continued my walk between the shelves, searching for something that would catch my interest.

As I passed Father's desk, I noticed a letter lying on top of it. Curiosity got the better of me, as it often did, causing me to linger over the desk to read the letter. Unsurprisingly, it was encoded. Even more eager to know its content then before, I searched the drawers. It did not take long before I found what I was looking for. A smile appeared on my lips as I pulled out the decoding cipher. I placed it over the letter, the seemingly random holes cut into it revealing the hidden message within.

"The American colonists are on the verge of revolution against the crown.

When the revolution is in place, great opportunities will be opened.

Therefore, it is decided that the Order will support the rebels and not the crown.

Grandmaster H.E.K"

"So there will be a revolution after all," I thought to myself. My mind was already racing, thinking about what this would mean, and what the consequences might be as I replaced the cipher in the drawer where I had found it.

"Grandmaster H.E.K," I mumbled as I threw one last look at the letter. Father had gotten messages from this "H.E.K" before, and I had learnt early on that these contained the most important information of all the letters he received from across the ocean.

Soon, I was on my way out to the balcony, carrying a new book under my arm. I quickly made my way back to my bedroom, my eyes getting heavier with each step. Longing to get back into the warmth of my bed, I hid the book under the loose floorboard next to my own desk.

I yawned as I finally crawled back between the soft sheets. Knowing myself, though, I would not be able to fall asleep until I got the thoughts of this revolution out of my mind. The colonists certainly had reason to incite this rebellion. Forced, as they were, to pay the constantly rising taxes to the crown. However, I was not sure if this revolution was a good idea...

"Anna darling, wake up." The voice of Margaret, our nanny, pulled me out of my sleep. Margaret was a chubby woman in her 60's, who had worked and lived here since I was born. She was a very sweet woman, always doing her best to keep me and my brothers happy, though she could be very strict when needed.

"Good morning," I mumbled with a sleepy voice as I sat up.

"You need to get ready, dear. You don't want to miss breakfast, do you?" she said with a warm smile. Margaret rose from my bed, which she had been sitting on, and walked out of my bedroom, leaving me alone to get dressed.

I walked over to my closet, feeling more dead than alive. As I passed the large mirror hanging on the wall, I found I looked exactly the way I felt. I had bags under my eyes from the lack of sleep and my hair... God help me.

Grabbing my brush, I began the process of transforming the mess on top of my head into its usual immaculate state.

My mother would often say I had the beauty of an angel. I had a hard time believing that at the moment; though I suppose, on a good day, you could call me pretty.

My eyes were grey with a hint of blue, and when I didn't have bags underneath them from staying awake half the night, I'd say they did look somewhat pleasing. My hair was golden brown and fell straight down my back a couple of inches past my shoulders. Every morning I would put it up in a tasteful bun the way Margaret had taught me.

I put the last hairpin in place to secure my hairstyle as I lingered in front of the mirror to study myself. My eyes travelled from my face down to my body. I already had the curves of a woman, which made me look older than my 14 years.

After I had gotten dressed, I went down the stairs to join my family in the dining room. As I was about to enter, I came to an abrupt stop caused by a slice of bread flying towards me from across the room, missing my face by only a few inches. There was practically a small war being fought over the dinner table.

"Julian! What in the world do you think you're..." while I was trying to give Julian, the bread thrower, a strict warning, I suddenly got interrupted by the sight of Oscar pouring jam all over Thomas' jacket.

"Alright you little brats, what on earth do you all think you're doing?! Stop it immediately!" The tone in my voice caused the boys to freeze. Luckily, I had a fair amount of respect amongst the little devils; though being the oldest child, the big sister of five younger brothers, wasn't easy by any means.

Well, I was oldest if you didn't count my half-brother Adrian, who is my elder by seven years. Though I had, or used to have, a good relationship with him, he had never really been a part of the family. My mother had made sure of that. I suppose it didn't really matter anymore since he was in Boston now, making a new life for himself.

He had sent me a couple of letters just after his arrival in America, telling me not to worry or to miss him, but I had not heard from him for almost two years now. I did worry, and I did miss him. I had expected Father to do so as well, but he showed no sign of it. In fact, every time I mentioned Adrian, he would get a cold look on his face.

I was quite certain there were more reasons for my half-brother's move to the Colonies than I had been told.

My thoughts turned from Adrian, back to the chaos of the dining room. Most of the breakfast had been spread all over the floor, and upon my brothers as well.

Five pairs of eyes looked at me, all of them with that terrified look children get knowing they were in trouble. As no one offered to give me an explanation, I turned to Eric, the oldest after me, and gave him a sharp look.

"Eric, would you kindly tell me what all of this is?" I spoke calmly. Eric was a mere two years younger than I was, which in my opinion made him far too old for this kind of childish behaviour.

"Julian and Sam began to argue, and then Sam threw a sausage at Julian. He missed and it hit Thomas who threw it back. Anna, I tried to stop them, I swear but..."

"Oh, I'm sure you did!" I snapped, cutting him off.

I turned my head as I heard footsteps behind me, to see Father walking down the stairs followed by Mother and Margaret. As they all entered the dining room, the two women immediately began lecturing the boys. I could hear Father sigh.

"What do you say to a game of checkers while we wait for this mess to get cleaned up, love?" he asked me in a low voice.

"I have nothing to say against it." I said with a smile.

I actually won that round, which was very rare. I laughed at the look on Father's face once he realized my next move would cause him to lose. I leaned back in the chair with a cocky grin.

"Didn't expect that, did you?"

"I certainly did not." He smiled at me. "You are a very bright young lady, Anna. I am proud of you," he continued. His smile faded away when it was replaced with a more thoughtful look. He gazed upon me as if he was considering something.

"What?" I asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing, love, nothing," he said while shaking his head. I let the subject drop, though I had a good idea of what he had been thinking of.

Perhaps Father had considered telling me about the Order, or even to let me join it. Maybe not now, but when I got older? I could not know this for sure, however, and I honestly didn't know how to feel about it.

My opinion of the Templars was mixed... both good and bad. Their goals made perfect sense to me, and I could not agree more with their ideology; that a society should be built upon order and discipline. This is what the Templars wanted. It was this they fought for.

What bothered me was their ways of reaching their goals. From the hours I'd spent reading Fathers' books about the history of the Order, I had learned they were capable of the most... horrible, unconscionable things to get what they wanted.

A wave of uneasiness, anger and... well, fear, filled me every time I would think of my father performing any of those acts. I used to think of him as a good and kind man. You might think it strange I could still trust and love my father, knowing what I knew about him. He cared for and loved me and my brothers. Father was kind to us and he always had been. I suppose that was enough for me. At least, it was at the time...


	2. Chapter 2

**Holy god, this has taken a ridiculously long time to get finished! I'm so sorry I feel absolutely horrible! D: I'll do my best to keep regular updates in the future, that's a promise.**

**I would also like to thank all of you who left reviews or follow my story, and really anyone who bothers to read it. It's not much, i know, but it brightens my day :)**

4th August 1775

"Anna, I would like to introduce you to Mr. John Blackwell," Father spoke calmly, but at the same time he gave me a sharp look, reminding me not to misbehave. I decided it would be best to follow his unspoken order, so I forced a smile and greeted the man in front of me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," I said as I held my hand forward so he could kiss it.

"Oh no, miss Ridler, the pleasure is mine," Mr. Blackwell said while he gently took my hand and brought it to his lips. He was, in my opinion, a rather handsome man. He had clear blue eyes and on top of that, a stunning smile. John Blackwell was in his mid twenties and the oldest son to one of the richest landowners in London. Father had told me that John also was a promising merchant, but I knew that was a lie. The man standing in front of me was, just like my father, a Templar.

"I must say, miss, you are far more beautiful than I was told," he continued.

"Well, thank you sir! I'm flattered," He had a charming exterior, I'll give him that. Though, I knew this man wasn't always so kind.

A couple of days earlier

Mother and father had called me into the game room, wishing to discuss a matter of great importance with me. I found both my parents standing next to the fireplace, laughing about something but fell silent? as I entered the room.

"Anna," Father greeted me, still smiling.

"Oh darling, your father and I have something fantastic to tell you!" Mother said as she rushed over to where I was and pulled me into a hug.

"And that is?" I asked curiously over her shoulder.

"You remember my friend Author Blackwell, don't you, love?" Father's smile got wider as he spoke.

"Yes of course," I answered. Author had been one of father's friends and a man I had seen a lot during my childhood. I remember labeling? him as the most boring person alive. He constantly had an annoyingly uninterested look on his face; well, at least when I had been present. I could only assume father had gotten to see another side of his friend.

Mr. Blackwell had often joined us at dinner when he and father had had what they called their "gaming nights". The two men would chat and drink over a game of chess, or whatever they were playing behind that locked door. Well, at least before they found him...

Father told me that mr. Blackwell had died in his sleep, but I knew better. The reason for the man's death had been a blade through his heart. An assassin's blade, to be more precise.

"You see, his eldest son, John, has asked for your hand in marriage." I snapped out of my thoughts as father continued. What had had he just said?!

"I know you haven't met him yet, darling, but he is such a delightful young man, and handsome as well!" mother practically sang with joy.

"And don't forget how rich his family is! Oh Anna, I'm so happy for you." She continued.

They waited for me to respond, but I was speechless. I knew exactly who John Blackwell was. He was a monster. I had seen his name many times in the letters father kept in his library; and more importantly, I had read about the cruel acts he had participated in.

Over the last three years, the Assassins had been gaining in numbers. The Templars still held the upper hand, however, their secret ruling was facing its end. This caused the Order to attract desperate and gruesome measures. I had read about so many horrible things. Countless murders, kidnappings, torture... There had even been raids on entire families in order to wipe out their enemies. John Blackwell had organized and lead some of these attacks. Not even the children were spared.

I still believed in the templar's ideas, I really did. Though the methods they were using just made me sick. I could hardly look at father anymore without my stomach turning into a hard knot because of the thoughts of what he had done. Many times had I considered telling him that I knew about all of this. I wanted to beg him to put an end to it; but each time I had decided it would be best if I just kept quiet. What difference would it make anyway? The Assassin's had tried to stop the Templars for hundreds and hundreds of years. I strongly doubted I would be able to. Making Father aware of my many visits to his library would do me more harm than good.

I can't say that I was completely unable to understand why the Templars chose to act the way they did. There was a part of me that kept saying they were not evil, that their intentions were good, that most of the murders, especially the recent ones, could have been avoided if the Assassins hadn't gained power.

These thought made me question the entire concept of right and wrong. Was there really such a thing? This silent war between The Assassins and the Templar order would often appear as black and white, as right fighting wrong. But if you took a closer look, you'd find it to be a scale of grey. If there is no white and no black, why bother keeping the morale?

I quickly pushed the thought away, I could not have that perspective. It was wrong to believe that there was an excuse cruel for acts like that.

"Anna?" father cut in, I had been silent for too long.

"I... I don't..." I swallowed hard as I tried to get a hold of myself. I felt a heavy weight in my chest that made it difficult to breathe, this could not happening.

"I'm not sure what to think of this..." I began. I knew that someone eventually would ask for my hand in marriage, but I sure didn't expect my suitor to be John Blackwell! I'd have to marry that monster. God, what kind of life would that be? I could barely look at my own Father anymore because of what he had become. How would I be able to sleep next to a man I despised, and... feared, so much night after night? How would I be able to bear that man's children? I could not agree to this.

"Father, I don't wish to marry John Blackwell." I said calmly. If I was to convince him to turn the proposal down I would have to be careful.

The smile on my mother's face faded as her eyes went wide in confusion.

"And why is that?" Father's voice was collected, but I could see that he was rather upset.

"Well, he doesn't have a very good reputation, and besides..."

"Have you lost your mind? John is the ideal man to marry! I've worked together with him on more than one occasion. I can promise you, Anna, that he is a very suitable husband." He cut me off. This time there was a clear sign of irritation in his voice. "I'm not going to let an opportunity like this slip by. You are becoming the wife of John Blackwell, whether you like it or not," father continued.

"But please, just listen to me, I..."

"No. I don't want to hear another word from you. Not a single word, do you hear that me?!" I took a few steps back as Father spoke. He was reacting worse than I thought he would. "You'll be meeting John when he comes here in a couple of days. Now, if you misbehave, it will be the last thing you ever do inside this house. Am I understood?" He spoke loudly as his eyes pierced through me like sharp needles.

I was suddenly at the edge of tears. Both because of anger and shock. The only thing preventing me from crying right then and there was my pride.

I gave father a short nod before I turned my heel and stormed out of that bloody room, quickly making my way through the wide corridor leading back to my bedchamber.

As soon as the door slam shut behind me all of my previous pride disappeared. Tears began to roll down my cheeks as I sat down with my back against the door and wrapped my arms around my legs.

Father had changed in more ways than I first had thought. Clearly, it was very important that I was made the wife of John Blackwell, but why? Never before had my father spoken to me in such manner. Whatever the reason, it was more important to him than the happiness of his own daughter.

"Everything that has to do with the templars is more important than any of us nowadays..." I quietly mumbled.

Had it always been this way? I had thought that the safety and well being of us, his family, had been of father's main interest. But what about Adrian... Had he left, or had he been shut out? That thought had never even passed through my mind before. Father had just threatened to throw me out on the street. What if that's what he had done to Adrian?

It was then I made the decision. Was I being clever or a downright idiot? I had no idea.

"Anna, would you like some more tea?" John asked before refilling his own cup.

"Yes please." I answered him politely.

We had already had dinner with mother and father, which, on my part, had been rather unpleasant. John had just kept going on, and on, about my beauty and what a delightful woman I was. I would've been flattered if that little bastard actually had been saying it to me instead of my father. The way the two men had talked about me... It was like they were discussing a bloody animal about to be sold!

Not only had I been rather enraged by their way of talking about me, but I had soon began to grow restless. Time wasn't moving fast enough.

After the dinner, mother had suggested that John and I have tea in the garden in order to get more familiar with each other. It was a quite nice summer evening with a clear sky and soft winds.

We both sat down at the little table in the back of our garden and then waited for the servants to bring us the tea.

He did speak directly to me this time, which was a major improvement from the dinner, though, I can't say the conversations we had were interesting. He seemed so hollow when we spoke. It was obvious that he was just playing his part of a game. That pig seemed to pay more attention to my chest then to my words. I would've thought that such a high born, templar trained man would've been more discreet but clearly, I was wrong.

"Your father told me that you have an interest in drawing," He said to break the silence that had occurred.

"Yes, I enjoy it quite a bit." I took a sip of my tea. "There is one thing I have been meaning to ask you, If I may?" I continued

"Yes, of course,"

"Why did you ask Father for my hand? A man of your looks and standards could get any woman desires, what makes you want me as your wife?" I was hoping that John would be willing to tell me more than Father had been.

"I doubt there's a woman in England who would be more suitable as a wife than you, Anna. You are kind, clever and truly breathtaking." Dear god, he was a terrible liar.

"John, I'm deeply flattered by your words, but you do not know me. I ask again, why are you taking my as your wife?" My voice was surprisingly gentle considering the fact that I was getting rather impatient at that point.

The past few days I had been trying to figure out what made this marriage so important. I had searched Fathers desk in the library several times without any luck. There were no letters or information to be found about this, which left me to think about possible answers. The only thing I knew for sure was that this had something to do with the Order.

John looked at me for a moment, obviously hit by my words, before he forced a stiff laugh.

"Anna, I can't believe you're saying this! Any man to have you as his wife would be the luckiest man on earth. Do you truly believe I would lie about that?" Yes, in fact I did.

I gave him a nervous smile.

"I suppose not... I just find all of this so hard to believe." I decided not to push the matter any further. I didn't want to him realise I knew more about this than he was aware of.

"Oh, believe me, you're not the only one." He gave me a smile that would make most women's knees weak.

"It is getting rather late." He rose from his chair and I followed shortly. The sun had disappeared behind the buildings in west just a while ago, though, it still wasn't dark.

"It has been a pleasure to have you here John," I said.

"Again, the pleasure was mine," As he spoke he leaned closer, until he was only a breath away. He placed a light kiss on my lips before he turned and walked towards the house.

"Until next time, Anna," he said over his shoulder.

-–-—-

I threw a glare at the tall-case clock placed in the corner next to my window. It was almost five in the morning. Time to get moving.

I got out of bed and proceeded to dress myself in the worn dress, its fabric was thick and scratchy compared to the finer dresses I usually wore. I had kept it hidden inside my duvet sheets since I got it two days ago. Truth be told, I stole it from one of the servants. I felt quite guilty about it, but since my dresses would raise too much attention, it was necessary.

Since mother and father told me about the engagement I had begun to plan and prepare my journey. I would not be a piece in their game, and I would not marry against my will. I was leaving my home for another. This morning at seven, a ship would be setting its sails, and that ship was going to take me to America.


End file.
